Technology trade association techUK has called on government ministers to cut export red tape on products incorporating encryption in order to make the UK more competitive, as a separate white paper urges the European Commission to revise its stance on cybersecurity export controls. <\/p>\n
With the digital economy responsible for roughly a quarter of the UKs exports, the nations firms cant afford the lengthy license approvals process needed for many products containing encryption, techUK argued. <\/p>\n
With export procedures significantly more liberal in other countries, this is impacting the competitiveness of UK firms, according to the body. <\/p>\n
It argued for an Open General Export Licence to cover specific comms equipment alongside clear guidance to help industry better understand which items require licensing. <\/p>\n
The news comes as industry group Digital Europe launched a new positioning paper calling on the European Commission to modify its proposals to tighten restrictions on the export of so-called dual-use technologies. <\/p>\n
Like the Wassenaar Arrangement, the proposals are designed to limit the export of technologies such as intrusion software, to repressive regimes which may use them to monitor dissidents and activists. <\/p>\n
However, the Commissions proposals could create legal uncertainty and problems for harmonization across Europe thanks to poor definitions for terms like cyber-surveillance technologies, licensing criteria, and Intangible Technology Transfers, techUK argued. <\/p>\n
Poorly defined catch-all controls and technical assistance will actually work to restrict the ability of firms to export tools to enhance cybersecurity without safeguarding human rights around the world, it added. <\/p>\n
Whats more, the proposals arent even in line with the Wassenaar Arrangement, and feature a newly created category, Annex 1 category 10, which will make it difficult for exporters to align with the countries theyre dealing with, the tech group said. <\/p>\n
This area continues to prove a major stumbling block around the world, with the negotiators failing to find a breakthrough last year in discussions on the 41-country Wassenaar pact despite the US leading efforts to agree on new language. <\/p>\n
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